FINDINGS OF THE PSYCHOGRAPHIC STUDY
ON VOTING BEHAVIOR OF THE FILIPINO ELECTORATE
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On the Correlation between Code Knowledge and Educational Attainment

Curiously, among the respondents who professed no knowledge of the Election Code, a sizable number were reflected at all educational levels; to wit,

=> 21.7% had reached elementary grades
=> 37.2% had reached high school education
=> 22.9% had reached college education
=> 12.3% had taken vocational/technical courses.

On the other hand, only 12.3% of those who professed no knowledge came from vocational and technical schools, while only 2.4% of those who had no Code knowledge had reached graduate studies.

Similarly, among those with very little knowledge of the Code, the following was reflected:

=> 13.6% had reached elementary grades
=> 23.8% had reached high school level
=> 47% had reached college education

The difference was reflected among those who had average knowledge of the Code where more than half (54.3%) had reached college education and almost one sixth of the respondents had attained high school education and another one sixth had reached graduate school.

The Study revealed a trend where respondents with higher educational attainment reflected more members knowledgeable about the OEC; i.e.,

=> 49.6% of those who reached elementary grades had Code knowledge;
=> 48.8% of those who reached high school had Code knowledge;
=> 52.0% of those who finished vocational courses had Code knowledge;
=> 78.4% of those who reached college had Code knowledge;
=> 87.3% of those who reached graduate studies had Code knowledge.

In sum, correlating Code knowledge to income and educational levels showed that 82.4% of respondents earning more than P10,000 had varying levels of Code knowledge while 87.3% of those who reached graduate studies likewise reflected varying levels of Code knowledge.

In particular, more than half (54.3%) of those with average knowledge had reached college education while little more than 5 percent ( 6.8%) who professed average knowledge had attained only elementary education. Similarly, almost a third (30%) of those who professed a firm grasp of the Code had attained graduate studies.

Correspondingly, more than half (52.1%) of the respondents who had no knowledge of the Code had earnings ranging from less than P3,000 to less than P4,000.

On the other hand, sizable numbers of respondents with no knowledge of the Election Code were spread out at all educational levels (elementary, high school, college), indicating the relative apathy and cynicism to

Acquisition of Code Knowledge Through Media and other informal lines of information

To counter-check the respondents' answers regarding the extent of their knowledge and understanding of the OEC, specific questions were asked them on seven provisions of the OEC that commonly came out each election time. These provisions were among the most common prohibitions that would be heard over media and discussed in barbershops and sari-sari stores; to wit,

=> prohibition of posting campaign posters outside areas not designated
by COMELEC;
=> prohibition to vote more than once;
=> prohibition to vote in place of others;
=> prohibition to accept payments in exchange for votes;
=> prohibition to use terrorism, violence and other coercive acts to obtain
votes;
=> prohibition to bribe and coerce COMELEC officials;
=> prohibition for military and police personnel to enter and stay inside
precincts and polling centers, except to vote.

An average of 89.6 percent of the respondents expressed awareness of the existence of these specific provisions of the OEC. But their awareness was derived from a combination of media reports regarding the latest COMELEC rules and regulations, media reports of poll protests and violations, information from campaign activities, coffee shop talk and the like.

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